Cushioning means for a receptacle



Nov. 22, 1955 s. E. MAUTNER CUSHIONING MEANS FOR A RECEPTACLE Filed July 2, 1952 lllillhiillllll`-llll R O T. N E V m Sez/en Maa new ATToREs CUSHIONING MEANS FOR A RECEPTACLE Steven E. Mautner, Port Jervis, N. Y., assignor to Skydyne, Inc., Port Jervis, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 2, 1952, Serial No. 296,824

1 Claim. (Cl. 190-37) My invention relates to a receptacle such as a shipping case or the like and, more particularly, to a cushioning means for such a case or receptacle.

In the shipping of things such as line instruments, particularly into the tropics, the shipping cases must be sturdy enough to withstand rough handling and must be moisture-proof and shock resistant. Such shipping cases are often subjected to several tests before many shippers will approve them. Some of the more rigorous tests include the dropping of the receptacle on its corners from a height of about four feet, and after the chest has been so dropped it is submerged in water and the chest must remain watertight. It has been found in practice that a chest which is rigid or unyielding at the corners is likely to crack at the corners upon the drop test. My invention, broadly, relates to a cushioning means for a chest to protect the chest if dropped and to lessen the shock to the contents of the chest.

It is a general object of the invention to provide an improved chest and, more particularly, an improved cushioning means for a chest.

Another object is to provide a chest with an integrally constructed corner to strengthen the chest mechanically and at the same time provide a cushioning means to resist breakage of the chest and minimize shock to the contents of the chest.

Other objects and features of invention and novelty will be hereinafter pointed out, or will become apparent to those skilled in the art.

ln the drawings which show, for illustrative purposes only, a preferred form of the invention:

Fig. l is an isometric view of a chest, illustrating features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary, sectional view, taken substantially in the plane of the line 2 2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a detail plan view of a metallic corner cap member; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of a chest corner illustrative of the invention.

In said drawings, the chest 5 is of more or less conventional form, and includes a main body 6 and a cover 7. The chest construction itself preferably includes panels such as 8 8, which may be formed of light wood or the like sheathed in, or sandwiched between, thin metal cover sheets 9 9. The panels 8 8 at the edges are preferably received in longitudinal channels in frame members 1G 10, which may be of extruded metal, for providing a mechanically strong and tight joint at the edges of the case. The panels are sealed in the channels and rubber or other gaskets are used between the body and lid and elsewhere if needed for watertightness.

My improved cushioning means are positioned at the corners of the case, and in the form shown each cushioning means forms substantially a continuation of the three sides or panels coming together at each corner.

In the preferred form of my invention, I provide a relatively deep cushion at each chest corner, and, in order to provide space for a deep resilient cushion without ICC Aextending much beyond the normal corner of the case,

I prefer to cut-the corner off so that my improved cushion, preferably in the form of a tetrahedron, may `lt over the corner, and the altitude of the tetrahedron maybe relatively great so as to provide a deep cushion. When the frame edges and panels are sliced off at the corner to provide the necessary space for the deep cushion, it is desirable to have a metal cover which serves as a strong mechanical cap for the corner, so as to hold all of the edges and panels at the corner quite rigidly together; and, in the preferred form, such metal reinforcing member forms a base to which the rubber cushioning material is integrally united. In the form illustrated, when the panels and edge extrusions 10 have been sliced 0E, my improved metal tie and strengthening plate may consist of a triangular plate or base 1S, which fully covers the corner of the chest, and the plate 15 has down-turned flanges 16 at the edges so as to lap over the outside of the edge extrusions or the panels themselves, and the flanges 16 are preferably riveted, as indicated at 17, to the edge extrusions or to the panels or both. Any open spaces between the flanges 16 or the triangular plate 15 and parts of the case covered by those parts may be lled in with sealing compound, which serves to seal the joints and render the case moisture-proof at the corners.

The outside of the triangular plate 15 forms a base for my cushioning means 1S, which is preferably in the form of a tetrahedron. Other forms could be used, but a tetrahedral cushion carries out the square look to the case and provides adequate cushioning means. The cushion is formed of rubber, synthetic rubber, or of some other material or combination of materials which will have the necessary resilience and cushioning properties. The cushion 18 may be cast or vulcanized in place on the outside surface of the plate 15, and, in the form illustrated, the plate 15 is provided with integral spurs or the like 19 imbedded in the cushioning material so as to provide adequate mechanical bond for holding the cushioning member in place. If the cushioning member 18 is preformed before being secured to the plate 15, the cushioning member will preferably be cemented or vulcanized to the plate.

It will be seen that my cushioning member 18, in the form of a tetrahedron, has considerable height or altitude, and when the case is dropped on the corner the rubber cushion, being unconned for the most part, gives or distorts, and the more the same is deformed, the greater will be the resistance to further deformation. In other Words, the increasing resistance to deformation offered by the cushion will serve to decelerate the movement of the case when it is dropped on the corner, and such deceleration will be progressive and will thus prevent severe shocks to the case and its contents. Furthermore, since the sides and edges at the corners are preferably reinforced by the metal plane 1S and its anges 16, there is little likelihood that any of the parts will be ruptured or will spring away from each other so as to form cracks or openings for the entry of moisture.

While the invention has been described in considerable detail and a preferred form illustrated, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

I claim:

In a chest, three frame members extending toward each other and being at right angles to each other to constitute a corner, said frame members having longitudinal channels therein, chest panels having the edges secured in said channels, said frame members and said panels being slabbed off at the corner to present the general form of a frustum of a tetrahedron, a triangular metal plate fitting flat on the slabbed off part of the chest, said plate having flanges at the three sides extending over and embracing the outer sides of said frame members and said panel members and secured to at least some of said members, and a resilient cushion in the form of a tetrahedron having its base permanently secured to said plate to form therewith a unitary structure, the sides of the tetrahedron being, respectively, substantially continuations of the adjacent panels.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 125,756 Peterson Apr. 16, 1872 653,889 Rubel July 17, 1900 732,165 Burnside June 30, 1903 1,761,233 De Forest Roe June 3, 1930 1,908,671 Hossfeld May 9, 1933 

